Star Dog
by fuckPUCK
Summary: Sirius befriends a muggle girl to help him find his way back to Grimmauld Place


Sirius awoke. That's simply all he can recount. He had no idea when or where he was, just that it was morning. Or maybe it was twilight? He was a dog, not all unfamiliar to him. He willed his body to change and it did. 'At least I'm still human,' was his first thought, but then he noticed his hands, and his arms. His limbs where younger, he still bore the tattoos from prison, but his skin wasn't greyed from the time with the dementors. He willed his body into the canine form and began to inspect his surroundings. He quickly deduced that he was currently located in a small coastal town in the year 2011. He should be around fifty, but his arms had looked like that of a young man. He stole a pair of trousers from a rack outside of a store and hurried to the public rest rooms on the beach.

He studied his physique in the mirror, his body and face looked like they did when he was younger, around the time of the first war. Sirius stood there in amazement; he was young, let alone alive.

A light whimpering reached his ears, echoing off the concrete walls. He returned to the scruffy dog and went to investigate. His claws clicking on the hard floors mixed with the tears of what he found to be a girl. She was curled up in the corner crying into her hands. She had what looked like a suitcase with her and a camping pack. Hesitantly he walked over to her, nudging her slightly with his nose. She looked up and he licked her cheek, lapping at her tears.

She wiped her nose and looked at him, "Hi dog," she said simply, "Have you run away, too?" she asked scratching his ear. Sirius sat back on his haunches and leaned into her hand, he forgot how nice this felt. She rose and went to the sink, washing her face and lifting her bags, "Thanks," she said patting his head, "I'm off to London to become a famous writer, now."

Sirius sat and thought for a moment after she left, he wondered if Harry was living in London. Why he should be married by now. 'I wonder if he lives at grimmauld…' He figured if anywhere, he'd be able to find at least one friendly face in London. He hurried around to the back where the girl stood, ripping a cardboard box in half.

"What do you want?" she asked using a large marker to write on the piece of scrap. He walked up and poked the sign with his snout, "You want to come to London, too?" she asked, and he barked in response.

She chuckled at his reply before returning to the dumpster. She fashioned a found piece of twine around his neck, to which he growled, "Sorry, dog, but as long as we're in city limits you need to be on a lead."

Sirius found himself content; they traveled for a few days, heading down up the coast, hitch hiking during the day and staying in a tent at night. It was amazing how much stuff she could fit in her bag, he thought she might be a witch at first. One night they were lying in an open field on a cliff, the summer air was cool here. She had cracked open her suitcase, which revealed it's self to be a record player. The scratch of the needle was a comfortable sound to his sensitive ears, mixing wonderfully with the voice of Cole Porter.

"Hey," she said scratching her neck, "Look there," she pointed up to the sky at a bright star, "That's Sirius, the dog star. Before the air was so polluted you'd be able to see it during the day at this time of year, people thought that's why it was so much hotter, that it was acting like a second sun," she explained as he rolled on to his back, allowing her to scratch his stomach, "What if your name was Sirius, like the star?" she mused, he barked trying to show his approval, "I guess you don't like that name, I wouldn't either. Anyway, who'd want a serious dog? Dogs are playful and fun," she continued to scratch his belly, "I'll just call you dog star. How's that?"

The girl laid down resting her head on his side when she noticed something. She sat up and inspected his skin closer, "Do you have tattoos?" she asked rhetorically, he just looked at her, "You are some dog, I can't wait to meet your family," she added before lying down and falling asleep.

XxxxxX

The elderly couple that resided in 10 Grimmauld Place had noticed the homeless looking girl and her big black dog.

"Star Dog, cut that out!" the girl hollered, "Come on, Dog, there's nothing there!"

"Hello?" the old woman said stepping out on to the stoop.

"I'm right sorry about Dog, I don't know what he's barking at, and he's normally so good," she apologized letting go of the lead all together, Sirius was set on what he was doing and she was going to persuade him.

"Do you want to come in? Have a cup of tea, take a bath, maybe?" the woman asked kindly.

"Yeah that would be amazing, uh just a sec," the traveler said turning back to her companion, "Dog, stay here, like do run off," and with that she tied his rope to the wrought iron fence and hurried up the stairs after the old lady.

Meanwhile inside 12 Grimmuald Place a small child had become fixated to the window.

"What are you looking at?" Her mother asked picking the little girl up.

"I think the doggy knows we're here," she said.

"Sweety, I've explained to you there's only certain people who can find this house," Ginny said a bit exasperated.

"But when I wave, he barks, see!" and the small child waved out the window, and like she said the dog sat up and started barking madly.

"Weird," her mom said more to her self than the girl, "Come on now, it's nap time."

After her first hot shower in a few weeks, Sirius' handler was feeling very refreshed, "She really very nice, letting me take a shower and all," she said ripping off a piece of a loaf of bread, "Most people assume I'm a junkie, but she didn't care." She fed a piece to her dog, and ate one herself, staring lazily at the street, Sirius faced the other way, never taking his eyes off of what she figured wasn't there.

Inside Ginny greeted her husband who was coming home late from work, "Harry," she said kissing him lightly.

"Not now, Ginny, I had a long day at work," he sighed.

"No this might be good news, look," she took his hand and led him through the parlor to the window their daughter had spent the day at.

"No," Harry breathed looking through the pane to the animal that looked so dearly like his late godfather's animagus. Quickly he hurried to the front door, which they almost never used. He stopped at the top of the steps, "Sirius, is that really you?" When the dog stood up barking his head off Harry rushed forward hugging the beast as if he might slip behind the veil at any moment.

"I take it you're Star Dog's former owner," the girl said, Harry hadn't even noticed her in his excitement.

"God no, he's my godfather," Harry said with a jubilance to his voice which his wife had only heard on a few occasions before.

"What?"


End file.
